Here are some strategies that you can use to increase active cognitive engagement for every student.

During Independent Reading:

Ask students to use one of the strategies below to make their thinking VISIBLE and ensure that their brain is firing at maximum capacity. This is a great time to give them a choice as well and a great way to get them well prepped for discussions with partners or small groups.

During Modeling and Read Alouds: For teachers of students who are learning to read:

Having students read in whole class mode misses an opportunity to get those neural pathways firing at their maximum capacity during a lesson. If you are modeling to early readers, here are some strategies that you can use every few minutes to make sure their brains are firing at maximum capacity. As you are reading to your young readers, stop every few minutes to ask them to THINK about what they heard, express an original opinion or predict what they think will happen next.